Redemption
by Jojo1228
Summary: After Luke is captured by the Empire, he learns that Vader is his father. He sets out on a long and difficult quest to help his father redeem himself. And save Vader from his own dark soul. Rated T for dark themes and violence. Currently on temporary hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

Good and Evil

Chapter 1

Luke Skywalker's eyes slowly opened. He could barley remember being shot down over enemy lines. Now, he found himself in an Imperial holding cell. Luke reached for his lightsaber, but found it had been consfiscated. _How am I gonna get out of here? _ Suddenly, the door to his cell opened. The person that stepped inside was the man that haunted his nightmares. It was Darth Vader, the man responsible for the death of his former mentor, Ben Kenobi, and Force knew how many countless others. Luke would sometimes see him in his worst nightmares. Luke asked, "What do you want?"

Vader said, "I am here to talk with you. You may consider this an interrogation."

Remembering Leia's torture aboard the first Death Star, he asked, "Where's the droid?"

"There will be no torture for your sake."

_What's he talking about?_ Luke had never known Vader to be merciful. Why was he any exception?

Vader said, "I hear you are an exceptionally good pilot."

Luke asked, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"When I was your age, I was an exceptional pilot."

"I was one of the best on Tatooine."

"I grew up there."

None of this made sense to Luke. Apparently, he had a lot in common with his nemesis. He asked, "Did you know Owen Lars? He was my uncle."

"He was my stepbrother."

Luke gasped. He and Vader even had familial connections. He asked, "Did you know Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"He was my first instructor."

"In that case, did you know my father, Anakin Skywalker?"

"That would be me."

Luke fainted when he heard those words.

* * *

"In that case, did you know my father, Anakin Skywalker?" Luke asks. Apparently, Luke and I have more things in common than a familial connection. When he says my old name, I see an iciness seep into his eyes. I figure he should know the truth.

I say, "That would be me," acknowledging for the first time in years that I was once Anakin Skywalker. As soon as I manage to say those words, Luke faints. I'm not sure why the truth would be such a shock to him. I sit down next to my son's prone form and use the Force to look into his memories. I instantly find myself in a small desert dwelling on Tatooine. I see Luke, who's swinging my old lightsaber around, with Obi-Wan. Figures. Luke turns off the lightsaber and asks, "How did my father die?"

Obi-Wan says, "A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down the Jedi. He betrayed and murdered your father."

I am suddenly thrown back into the present. Yep , leave it to Obi-Wan to tell Luke about my fate using metaphors. I look back to Luke's unconcious form. I sense he'll be waking up soon, so I exit the cell. As I'm walking back to the bridge, I get the idea that Luke and I could make a great team someday.

I just have to turn him.

* * *

Luke slowly regained conciousness. There was a part of him that didn't want to wake up to a world in which Vader was his father. However, his eyes refused to listen and they slowly opened. He somehow knew that Vader had been telling the truth when he said he'd once been Anakin Skywalker. He remembered sensing a small pang of regret coming from Vader as he revealed his past name. _There's still good in him. I can feel it. He wouldn't be regretting becoming a Sith if he was pure evil, and I probably would have been tortured into revealing where the Rebel base is if there wasn't any good in him. But why have he and Obi-Wan completely given up on the truth?_

Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the cell. The cell door opened a couple seconds later. Vader tossed him his old lightsaber and said, "We're being attacked. Follow me if you want to live."

Luke followed a short distance behind. He knew that he could probably help Anakin Skywalker redeem himself.

However, it would be a long slow process.

A/N: Phew! Finished! I was going to post another chapter of _Light and Dark,_but there was still way too much to type. So I opted for this story instead.  
Luke and Vader:_**School's out for summer! School's out**_** forever!****  
**Han: The first five times were fun, but now it's getting old.  
Obi-Wan: Like father, like son.  
Me: You said it.  
Luke and Vader: **_School's out_ completely!  
**Me: I think we've got the point now.  
Vader: I like singing that song.  
Luke: And it's graduation day!  
Me: Very technically, I'm on a three month hiatus from school. I won't graduate 'till I'm out of high school. Then it's off to college.  
Leia: I think it's nice to have a bit of extra schooling.  
Luke, Vader, and Han: (groans)  
Obi-Wan: Don't forget to R&amp;R, but don't flame. Don't forget to stay in school either.  
Vader: (bangs head repeatedly on the wall) Poodoo.  
Luke: DAD!  
Me: And my good mood's over. Before anything else happens, this is Jojo1228 signing off.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Luke ran after Vader as more explosions rocked the ship. He thought very briefly of his friends, Han and Leia, but managed to chase them away. He didn't know what his father would think of his friends in the Rebel alliance. His mind suddenly flashed to the crash that had led to his first meeting with his father.

* * *

_5 hours earlier_

Luke sat in the cockpit of his X-wing. He and a few other pilots were chasing a few TIE fighters away from the Rebel base while everyone else was fleeing to an unknown location. Suddenly, out of the blue, a TIE fighter with bent wings appeared. Luke's mind flashed back to the battle of Yavin. Vader had shot down most of the 30 pilots, including his friend, Biggs Darklighter. Only four ships had survived the assault. Back in the present, Vader shot at Luke, hitting both of his starboard engines. Luke knew his ship was going to crash. He did everything he could, but the crash knocked him unconcious. As he blacked out, he didn't know wether he was going to live or die.

* * *

I see the pilot crash in the heavily forested woods. I know he'll be unconcious, but okay. I didn't exactly want to knock him out, but at least I didn't kill him. My mind suddenly turns to my wife, Padmè Amidala. 20 years have passed since her death.

20 years since I became more machine than man.

The mention of that day brings a name to my mind that has haunted me since that terrible day. Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He was the one that left me to die, burning on the slopes of a volcanic river. Ever since, I've hated the very mention of his name. I even thought killing him would bring me satisfaction. However, when that moment had come, I was left very confused, and unsure of what was in store for my future. I now kept his lightsaber as a trophy in the walls of Bast Castle, my private fortress on Vjun. During the battle of Yavin, I did my best to defend the Death Star, however, one pilot managed to evade me. I could sense he was strong in the Force. However, a laser blast from the _Millennium Falcon_ and a panicked pilot sent me spiraling away from the Death Star. I was the only Imperial survivor of that day. When I learned of my son's existence, I suddenly realized that Palpatine had lied to me when he told me I'd killed my own wife. I now know that Padmè survived long enough to give birth to my son. After the last of the Rebels flee, I land on the ground. I see the pilot slumped over in the cockpit. I carefully extract him from the cockpit, before removing his helmet. I'm stunned by what I see. He has the same brownish-blond hair I once had. I carefully open his right eye. I am greeted with the same sky blue eyes as mine when I'm not immersed in the Dark Side of the Force. I tell the others, "Detain this Rebel, and put him in a holding cell. He may be useful in finding the Rebels' new secret base."

As he's carried away, I can't help but wonder why I never knew of him until now.

* * *

_Present time_

I leap into one of the few remaining escape pods, followed by Luke. I say, "We've only got a few minutes left to get out of here. After that, we're going to have to find shelter, somewhere."  
Luke nods. I can feel his uncertainty through the Force. I'm still wondering why Obi-Wan didn't tell him the truth of his parentage. However, I have no time to contemplate the situation. As the escape pod blasts into space, I realize I have no idea what else to do from here.

* * *

Leia Organa was worried. She knew Luke hadn't yet arrived, and even worse, it had been 6 hours since anyone had seen him last. One pilot had said he'd seen Luke shot down. To her, that meant he was either a prisoner, or worse, dead. She knew that if Luke were a prisoner, he'd undergo unspeakable torture. She still carried the scars of her torture on the first Death Star. Then she remembered how Luke had been the one to get her off of the ship, and back to Yavin IV. She knew that she had to save her friend. And she knew who to ask for help.

A/N: (cues dramatic music)  
Luke: I still can't believe Vader's my dad.  
Me: By the way, where is Anakin?  
Leia: Guys, come over here.  
(Everyone walks over to where Leia's standing)  
Me: Oh my GOSH! (Breaks out into laughter)  
Luke: What's so funny? (Sees Vader kissing Han's ear in his sleep) Now that's funny!  
Me: Obi-Wan? (Hands him a video camera) Will you do the honors?  
Obi-Wan: Sure. (Starts filming)  
Vader: (wakes up) AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  
Han: (wakes up) AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  
(both leap to their feet and run to the bathroom)  
Han: (tries desperately to wash off his ear) I can't believe you were kissing my ear!  
Vader: (scrubs his mouth out) Remind me never to have an all-nighter with you again!  
Leia: This will probably win some money on AFV  
Vader: What do you mean by that?! (Sees Obi-Wan with the camera) Obi-Wan you are so dead!  
Me: Woah, woah, woah. You already killed him on the Death Star!  
Vader: (facepalms) I hate logic. -_- (puts mask on)  
Me: Uh, huh. That's right, Vadie.  
Vader: What did you call me?!  
Me: You heard me.  
Vader: Sicko...  
Me: Psycopath...  
Luke: Before they really start calling each other names, this is Luke Skywalker signing off for Jojo1228. (Vader ingnites lightsaber) Hey, don't you dare!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, I got a huge case of writer's block. :P**

"So let me get this straight," Han Solo said, "you want me to take you into enemy territory to rescue Luke?"

Leia said, "Yes, don't ask me why, but I just have this feeling Luke's in danger."

"Look, you're crazy. First off, do you know how hard it is sneaking into enemy lines? Well, I'll tell you, it's probably one of the most dangerous things you can do. Secondly, how do we know for sure that Luke's been captured? He's probably off on one of his little adventures."

"First of all, I'm aware that sneaking into enemy lines is incredibly dangerous. Second of all, Luke usually checks into base before he goes off on a random escapade."

"I'm gonna regret this."

* * *

_Elsewhere  
_  
Luke stared out into the vastness of space. He knew it would only be a matter of time before they either crashed on another planet, or were picked up by some other ship. Of course, he knew there were hundreds, maybe thousands of different scenarios, but those were his best case situations. Vader however, seemed indisposed to whatever fate awaited them. _It's like he just wants to die_.

He moved closer to his father, even though he knew that Vader had a volitaile personality. However, he had to figure out if something was troubling his dad. He asked, "Is something bothering you?"

"I don't like talking about it."

Luke nodded. He knew better than to pry into someone else's buisness. Besides, Vader would probably say something eventually. Suddenly Vader said, "But I shoud probably tell you anyways, since you probably don't know what happened."

"Okay."

"You know how I was apprenticed to Obi-Wan, right?"

"Yeah."

"What did he say about me?"

"That you were a great pilot, a cunning warrior, and a good friend."

Behind the mask, Luke could easily tell Vader was rolling his eyes as he said, "That sounds like Obi-Wan to me."

"Well, what were you really like?"

* * *

_What were you really like?_ It's an interesting question actually, mostly because I've spent so long not bothering to think about my past self. But, I mentally agreed earlier that I would tell Luke the truth, even if it made him hate me.

"Well," I begin, "that's not exactly true. You see, I'm a great pilot, but stealth wasn't one of my fortès, and I could actually be pretty selfish sometimes."

"Oh."

"But we were good friends by the time the Clone Wars ended,"I finish. I sigh because even though have a grudge against Obi-Wan, all this nostalgia is really taking me back. I'm actually starting to wonder why I threw it all away.  
"I see," Luke says. "But why did you turn to the dark side? Why did you kill your own best friend?"

"I think it was mostly about saving my wife, your mother."

"Who was she?"

I hesitate for a few moments. I haven't spoken about these events in years, so understandably, it's hard for me to talk about these things. Finally, I say, "She was a brave young woman, named Padmè Amidala."

"Wait a second, wasn't she the queen of Naboo?"

"She was. I met her when I was just a nine year old slave."

"You were a slave?" Luke asks, obviously disgusted.

"Yes. Slavery is actually legal on Tatooine, so you might consider yourself lucky that you grew up with your aunt and uncle. Anyways, her ship was damaged, and they needed a new hyperdrive. I still remember the day when that Jedi walked into the shop. While he went out back for parts, I started talking to Padmè. If you believe in love at first sight, then I guess you could say that for two very young children it's actually normal. Of course, they didn't have any money for the parts, so I won a podrace to get the money."

"You were a podracer?!"

"Yep, only human who could do it. We eventually married, but when she told me she was pregnant, I started having nightmares of her dying. Palpatine told me that he knew  
of a power that could save her from dying. I got desperate, and that's how I became a Sith Lord. Padmè confronted me over my actions, but when I found out Obi-Wan had snuck onboard her ship, I lashed out in a blind rage, and I-" I pause for a few moments. It's really hard, but I somehow still think Luke needs to know.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I choked her. Obi-Wan managed to stop me, but she collapsed, unconcious. I normally would have rushed to her aid, but I was just so mad, and we fought. It ended with him severing my left arm and both legs, and I tried using my prosthetic right arm to pull myself up the slope, but it didn't work. Then, I caught fire."

"Where were you that night?"

"Mustafar, which is a volcanic planet. I'm guessing I deserved it, but in any case, Obi-Wan left me to die. Later, Palpatine found me, and took me back to Coruscant. Over the course of several days, I was rebuilt as the cyborg you see now. However, they didn't use any anisthetics, so I had to feel every knife that cut into me, every needle that was injected, everything."

"They kept you awake through all that?!" Luke asks, angered by such an unjustice.

"Yes," I say, fumbling with the mask. "And after it was all over, he told me that I'd killed Padmè in anger."

"The Emperor's a monster. I don't think he ever really cared about anyone," Luke says. Normally, I would have choked anyone who said that, but I'm not going to hurt Luke.

"Well, I know now that she lived long enough to give birth, but that still doesn't excuse anything I've done."

* * *

Luke looked at his father intently. Of course, he was a tiny bit mad at Obi-Wan, but he knew that it could have turned out much differently. But why was Vader trying to remove the mask? He reached over and carefully removed the mask, revealing the face of a scarred old man. He blurted out, "We have the same eye color."

"I noticed that earlier," Vader said.

As they started talking, neither of them noticed the Millenium Falcon approaching the escape pod.

**A/N: Yep, we're getting there. I figure that maybe a little father and son bonding will start to reawaken the good in Anakin, but his acutal redemption will take a lot longer.  
**  
**Leia: Can you please have them not do too much bonding?**  
**  
Me: Would you rather have me let Vader hack off Luke's right hand and have him be all like, "No, I am your father?"**  
**  
Luke: Wait, what?!**  
**  
Me: Yeah, that's what happened.**  
**  
Luke: (shudders)**  
**  
Obi-Wan: Even I'm starting to prefer this story.**  
**  
Me: That's one of the reasons why I wrote this.**  
**  
Han: What's the other reason?**  
**  
Me: Let's just say that Anakin died a hero in _Return of the Jedi._**  
**  
Everyone else: Oh...**  
**  
Luke: (turns on my DVD player)**  
**  
Vader[on-screen]: (lights on fire)**  
**  
Luke: (winces) Ooh...**  
**  
Me: Yeah, that's why I prefer _Revenge of the Sith_ AU's**

Vader: (walks in) Has anyone seen my lightsaber? (Sees Luke) What the- LUKE COVER YOUR EYES!

**  
Me: Hey, come on. You already told him about that!**  
**  
Luke: Besides, I'm 19 years old! Jordan watches worse anyways, and she's 13!**  
**  
Vader: (grimaces) Don't remind me...**  
**  
Me: You just don't wanna admit that you fainted when we watched _Awake!_**  
**  
Vader: (turns red)**  
**  
Me: (sighs) This is Jojo1228 signing off.**


End file.
